of la fayette



F. S.,SPO HR. COLLAPSIBLE RACK FOR BOTTLES AND JARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, I919- Patehted Dec. 23,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

'F, S. SPOHR.

COLLAPSIBLE R'ACK FOR BOTTLES AND JARS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1919 Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- rrnn sTATE PATENT OFFER FRANK S. SPOI-IR, OF LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO BARBEE WIRE & IRON WORKS, OF LA FAYETTE,INDIANA, A CORPQBATIGN OF INDIANA.

COLLAPSIBLE RACK FOR. BOTTLESAND JARS.

Application filed July 11,1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. Sronn, citizen of the United States,residing at La Fayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State ofIndiana, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in CollapsibleRacks for Bottles and Jars; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to collapsible racks,

similar to bottle-baskets or carriers, and

which are especially adapted for use in pre serving fruits, vegetablesandthelike. It

has forits object'to provide a simple and efficient device of thischaracter which may be readily collapsed and set up for use, and which,whenin the latter position affords invention showing the same inposition for use.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same in said position.

Fig. 3 is a top plan 'view of the device showing the same in itscollapsed position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof in said position. A

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a fragmentary detail plan view andfa sideelevation of one of the locking elements of the device.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

The device comprises a substantially ob long frame or base member whichconsists of a border 1 wire spanned by a series of transverse wires 2,all of which are preferably electrically welded together at theirmeeting points.

Specification, of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2-3, 1919.

Serial No. 310,219.

The border wire 1 is bent at intervals to provide a series of downwardlyextending supporting legs 3, as more particularly shown in Figs. 2 and4%.

Associated with the member 1 is a similar member which comprises theborder wire 4: of the same shapeand size as the border wire 1 andwhichis spanned by a central longitudinal wire 5 and three transversewires 6, 7 and 8, all of which are preferably electrically welded attheir ends to the border wire l, and are similarly welded between theirends to the longitudinal wire 5. The member 4: thus provides eightsubstantiallyrectangular openings through each of whicha preserve jarorsimilar receptacle ay Pl lQQ 11 1 6 latt r ei g a pted t restuponthejbase orsupporting member 1. Firmly secured to the'bo'rder wire 1 ofthe supporting member is a plurality of V- throughtwd of thesaidelements ,9aud.the

other two of said elements 9 pass over the transverse Wire 7 of themember 4:, the latter being thus held against separation from thesupporting element at all times. When the device is collapsed, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4, the elements 9 lie substantially flat upon theelements 1 and 4; but when the device is in position for use, as shownin Figs. 1 and 2, the elements 9 are turned through an arc ofsubstantially ninety degrees 50 that the supporting shoulders 11thereof, which are disposed between the upper ends of the legs, and theloop elements 10 thereof, pass underneath the border wire 4, therebyobviously supporting the latter at a given distance from or elevationabove the supporting element 1.

The shoulders 11 are preferably ogee handle members 12, each of which issubstantially U-shaped in form and the legs of which are bent betweentheir ends in og'ee curved formations 13 to provide what may be termedloops 14 which are adapted to receive the upper edges oi the walls of aboiler or kettle, such as is used by house wives in preserving fruitsand vegetables, to support the device at an elevation above the bottomthereof, and so that the contained jars or other receptacles will bedisposed in position to enable the same to be readily removed andreplaced or otherwise handled.

When the device is collapsed, as shown in Fig. 4t, he said handlemembers 12, will be turned to lie underneath the supporting element ormember 1, as shown in Fig. 4.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment oi the invention in theaccompanying drawings, it will be understood that such embodiment may bechanged and varied in details of constructions without departing fromthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim my invention:

1. A collapsible rack comprising a skeleton supporting element and acompanion element of similar shape and size, the latter comprising aperipheral wire and a plurality of transverse and longitudinal wiresspanning said peripheral wire and secured at their ends thereto andproviding openings through which receptacles resting on the supportingelement are adapted to project, a plurality of substantially V-shapedsupports pivot-ally secured at the ends of their arms to the peripheralportion of the supporting element and through which a transverse and alongitudinal wire of the companion element pass for preventing completeseparation of said elements, the elbow portions of said supportsprovided with shoulders upon which the peripheral wire of the companionelement is adapted to rest and presenting loops coaeting with saidshoulders for holding the said peripheral wire engaged with the latterwhereby relative movement of all of said relatively movable parts isprevented.

2. A collapsible rack comprising a skeleton supporting element and acompanion element of similar shape and size, the latter comprising aperipheral wire and a plural ity of transverse and longitudinal wiresspanning said peripheral wireand secured at their ends thereto andproviding openings through which receptacles resting on the supportingelement are adapted to project, a plurality of substantially t -shapedsupports pivotally secured at the ends of their arms to the peripheralportion of the supporting element and through which a transverse and alongitudinal wire of the companion element pass for preventing cornpleteseparation of said elements, the elbow portions of said supportsprovided with shoulders upon which the peripheral wire of the companionelement is adapted to rest and presenting loops eoacting with saitshoulders for holding the said peripheral wire engaged with the latterwhereby relative movement oi all of said relatively movable parts isprevented, the said shoulders being ogee curved and adapted to be sprunginto engagement with said peripheral wire of said companion element.

FRANK S. SPOHR. 7

